Sam Rank described Nate Kashket as "a super-star" after his hat-trick fired double-chasing Redbridge Jewish Care into the next round of the Cyril Anekstein Cup after seeing off the challenge of Division Two table-toppers Faithfold B.
October 29, 2018 12:51
CYRIL ANEKSTEIN CUP ROUND ONE
FAITHFOLD DOC MM B 0 REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE A 3
Kashket, the brother of Wycombe Wanderers starlet Scott, helped himself to his third MGBSFL treble of the season as the unbeaten east Londoners avoided a potential banana skin in some style.
Missing a number of first-team regulars, Redbridge dug in from the start. Playing against the wind in the first half, the visitors failed to reach the high standards that have served them so well in Division One so far this season. But their defence stood strong against their normally free-scoring opposition.
After a few tweaks at half-time, the second half was a completely different story. Player manager Sam Rank came on and set the tone and tempo of the game from minute one of the second half, and this got his team going. Kashket, who had a very quiet first half, started getting on to the ball, and getting in behind the Faithfold defence.
He broke the deadlock in the opening stages of the half, getting in behind the Faithfold defence and tucking the ball effortlessly into the net.
Redbridge created numerous chances to push further ahead, with James Berkley hitting the post and bar, and Dave Green missing a couple of clear-cut chances.
Their pressure was eventually rewarded from the penalty spot, after Dave Green was grappled to the ground, and the man-of-the-moment Kashket converted his penalty with aplomb.
RJC's golden boy had a number of chances to complete his hat-trick, and eventually the talisman completed his treble, latching on to a loose clearance to finish empathetically from close range.
A victorious Rank told JC Sport: "Overall today, the better team won, but if the boys want to win the league and go far in the cups , they need to learn to perform from minute 1 to minute 90."
"We were not at the races in the first half," admitted Rank, "but once they upped the game, the game was very easy, and pleasing for all too see."
Rank described "the moment of match" when he won the ball, then decided to do a long jump, triple jump combination falling down, which caused great amusements to the sidelines."
He went on to say: "It has been confirmed today Nate Kashket's goal-scoring bonus has been stopped by his father, due to him costing his dad fortune. However RJC A have given him the bonus of being the star of the Instagram account with a video each week when the talented scores. Nate response was very excited and will have to shave for the occasion."
Faithfold's Doron Shooter told JC Sport; “I’m very proud of my team today; we played against a Redbridge side who are having a wonderful season and are sitting at the top of Division One, and in my opinion we matched them for most of the game, despite having many first-team regulars missing.
"Had it not been for a few individual errors, I don’t believe they would have scored today so we can be proud of the work that we put in.
"Having said all of that we wish Redbridge the best of luck in the next round of the cup, as we look to prepare for a big game against their B’s next week.”
FAITHFOLD: Raffi Zysblat, Matthew Gold, Ben Goldberg, Gilad Kestenbaum, Leor Harel, Lollu Hibbert, Ben Korman, Hezzie Raymond, Doron Shooter, Chaim Gothold. Sub: Chaim Strom
REDBRIDGE: Dean Caplin, Daniel Adelman, Dan Andrews, Jamie Bernstein, Adam Kemper, Scott McKenzie, David Green, Adam Noble, James Berkley, Carl Dobrin, Nate Kashket. Subs: Matt Kemp, Sam Rank
SCORERS: Kashket 3
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Nate Kashket